Coldfusion versus Active Server Pages 4

[Boomerang]

Hi,

The last 2 years I work as a web-developer on projects based on Microsoft Active Server Pages.
I have a lot experience with HTML/CSS and medium experience with Javascript and Active Server Pages.

Now my next job is probably a firm where they develop with Coldfusion. But..... I realy don't know anything (0%) about Coldfusion. NOTHING !!!
Can someone tell me in a few words something about coldfusion. (on what it is based - language ???)

Does someone has experience with both, Coldfusion and ASP and tell me if it's hard, easy to swith from ASP to Coldfusion ??

Thanx,
Erik <!-- My sport: Boomerang throwing !!
This year I will participate at the World Championships in Germany. (

http://www.boomerang2002.com)

!! Many Happy Returns !! -->

 

[Sarky78]

Coldfusion is a Rapid application development development language in the same vein as ASP. Where as ASP comes free with NT/2000 and runs once IIS is up and running coldfusion requires its own application server to process the .cfm pages in conjunction with IIS or another webserver

i have used both ASP and Coldfusion and find that Coldfusion is far easier to use than ASP. Mainly due to the devlopment that macromedia/allaire have put into making Coldfusion a Rapid application development tool means that you can develop an application much quicker than in ASP.

Coldfusion also comes with far more functions in the box than ASP, shipping with its own search engine capability, tags that allow you to upload files to a server to mention just a couple of features.

Coldfusion also provides much more feedback to the developer on errors that it encounters. instead of the really unhelpful ASP errors CF tells you basically what you have done wrong and where in english.

hope this helps you a bit !

if you wsnt to know anything else just post back !

 

[CFDude]

Erik,
I've worked with both -- I have a lot more experience with Cold Fusion and been working with asp for about a year.

They are both very similar in many ways and I suspect that you will find somethings a whole lot easier to do in cold fusion.

The biggest difference is the syntax. Cold Fusion is more like HTML than scripting, and ASP is pretty much script.

e.g.
here is an asp example of setting a variable and outputting it to screen:
<%
dim myVar
myVar = &quot;Hello World!&quot;
response.write myVar
%>

the same thing in Cold Fusion:

<cfset myVar = &quot;Hello World!&quot;>
<cfoutput>#myVar#</cfoutput>

Database connectivity is much simpler in CF:
eg.
ASP:
<%
dim insLog, SqlString, insRS
Set insLog = Server.CreateObject(&quot;ADODB.Connection&quot
insLog.Open &quot;DSN=MyDSN&quot;
SqlString = &quot;Insert into MyTable(EntryDate,User)&quot;
SqlString = SqlString & &quot;Values(&quot; & Now() & &quot;,&quot; & request.form(&quot;UserName&quot & &quot&quot;
Set insRS = insLog.Execute(sqlString)

Set insRS = nothing
insLog.close
set insLog = nothing
%>

Now in CF

<cfquery name=&quot;qryInsert&quot; datasource=&quot;MyDsn&quot;>
Insert into MyTable(EntryDate,User)
Values(Now(), #form.UserName#')
</cfquery>

 

[Boomerang]

Thanx for these answers for so far (that make sense).

Nice examples CFDude. One question about the Database connectivity:
- Which Databases can be used? Please let me know which one are possible! (I think at my new firm it's Oracle.)

Erik
<!-- My sport: Boomerang throwing !!
This year I will participate at the World Championships in Germany. (

http://www.boomerang2002.com)

!! Many Happy Returns !! -->

 

[CFDude]

You can use pretty much any database with CF. I use Oracle here and I connect fine with CF and ASP.

With CF Enterprise, you can use the Native drivers for Oracle, but with CF Professional, you have to go with ODBC. Either one is fine, and I have used both.

Good Luck!
Tim P.